I Remember Fondly

 
She had become like a motherly figure
A mentor
Always challenging me to think for myself
To think outside the box
I was only ten

She had a rough childhood
So she learned to fend for herself at a young age
...and became successful

She was one of my mom’s employers
But in a short time, they became good friends
At times I know they were more like confidants
Because I could see my mom’s confidence growing in those years

She was strong willed
intelligent
Unfiltered
Spoke what she felt and meant what she said
In a time when men in the office could be…misogynistic
She stood out like the voice of reason      
And at times vulgar whenever it was necessary

I was happy she attended my high school graduation
She was part of our family
She had seen us all grow

We had lunch a couple of weeks later
I could tell she was excited I was attending college in the fall

In early November I went to visit her
All the chemo had taken a toll
And though she may had lost her hair and a lot of weight
She still had the same sass
She could still kick ass

Leukemia took her a few days before Thanksgiving
My mom had been there for her every day

In the family albums…birthday parties and gatherings
She always had a smile
But my favorite is in the one with her dog

And to this day, over thirty years later
I remember fondly
Our family friend Sally